Federated Farmers policy staff, national president Andrew Hoggard, national executive spokesperson for water and the environment Chris Allen and Mid-Canterbury Feds provincial president David Clark endeavoured to deliver clarity around the $700 million water reform package to a meeting in Ashburton last week.
The unworkability of some of the new regulations, many more stringent than existing rules, as well as deadlines for implementation has led to stress and uncertainty for farmers.
This includes new rules for practices in regular farming activities such as stock exclusion from waterways, winter grazing of forage crops, nitrogen application, stocking rates and land use intensification.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) deputy chair Peter Scott and councillor Ian Mackenzie addressed the implications from the regional council perspective.
The message was direct and simple.
Scotts says having already spent $60m putting plans in place, the regional council does not have the money to implement the Government’s now-overarching national policy reform package.
“We are proud of where we have got to in Canterbury, and to waste $60m of taxpayers’ money is ridiculous,” he said.
“Our farm environmental plans are a real joint effort between farmers, ECan and auditors, and to have this thrown out for a national strategy really gets my wick.”
ECan is faced with spending $30m more of ratepayers’ money overlaying government’s new freshwater regulations over its existing plans.
Mackenzie is appalled there’s been no compensation for money already spent.
ECan had submitted comprehensive submissions requesting that work already done on water plans be recognised in the Essential Freshwater package.
This earlier work was ignored when the freshwater regulations were released and ECan has no option in implementing the new regulations.
New rules from the National Environment Standards (NES) sit above ECan’s in a hierarchical sense.
“This will be hugely expensive,” Mackenzie said.
“We are being treated like all other councils who have done nothing or haven’t got near so much in place as Canterbury Regional Council.
“It will be at least a 10% rate rise each year for the next three years just to do these plans as the Government has regulated and that will not change the direction that ECan is on and will not make a scrap of difference to the region’s water quality.
“Even a cheap and nasty implementation (of new regulations) will cost $30m.
“Every $1m that ECan spends is a 1% rate rise.”
Mackenzie says no one is questioning the need to improve the environment, it is the pace of change, implementation and cost that is being debated.
He says the new hierarchy concept of Te Mana o Te Wai, setting new priorities for decision-making will be “hugely significant”.
This requires regional councils to give the highest priority to the health and wellbeing of water and water bodies, followed by the health needs of people before finally considering cultural, social and economic wellbeing.
This would require any consents to have a beneficial effect on water quality.
“I don’t know how we can do any urban development under these new rules,” Mackenzie said.
ECan is in discussions with South Island iwi Ngai Tahu and individual Runanga about to define Te Mana o Te Wai and how this will translate into water regulations.
Hoggard told the audience it was about having a new lens for looking at water.
“I do have a degree of optimism that we will turn this juggernaut around,” Hoggard said.
He acknowledged the new National Policy Statement (NPS) rules will hit farmers right across the country.
“Every farmer in the country needs to understand the implications of the NPS,” he said.
“This is not just regional, or winter grazing in Southland, and the general public needs to understand – can we afford this?
“For me, the most important thing is getting out and making sure farmers, rural and wider communities really understand.
“This is not just a rural problem.”
